SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -
The UC Santa Barbara women's soccer team will begin its quest for a third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance when it opens the 2010 season at home on Friday, Aug. 20 with a non-conference game against Cal State Northridge.

The Gauchos 2010 schedule includes a Sept. 12 road game at UCLA, a national semi-finalist in 2009, and a Sept. 5 game against another 2009 NCAA Tournament participant, Marquette, in Minneapolis.

"It is a challenging schedule for us," said head coach Paul Stumpf. "I think it is well-balanced and very competitive."

In all, UCSB will play 10 home games and 10 road games next season. The highlights of the non-conference home schedule will be first-time meetings with St. Joseph's (Aug. 27) and Oklahoma (Sept. 19). Also, in addition to playing Marquette at a neutral site, the Gauchos will play the host school, Minnesota, on Sept. 3.

The final tune-up prior to the start of Big West play will be a Sept. 24 trip to Fresno State. League play will begin with games at UC Riverside (Oct. 1) and Long Beach State (Oct. 3). Santa Barbara will complete the league schedule with an Oct. 29 match-up at Cal Poly. The Gauchos have ended each of the last two seasons for the Mustangs, defeating them on penalty kicks in the Big West Tournament each time.

"We are very excited about our returning team," Stumpf said. "Most of them have two years of playoff experience and they had a great spring season. We also had a very solid and strong recruiting class."

UCSB went 4-0-2 in spring play, scoring 18 goals and allowing just four.

Season tickets start at just $75 and include one ticket to all home men and women's regular season games and one College Cup All Session ticket. UC Santa Barbara staff and faculty can purchase their season tickets for a reduced rate of $50.

For the second consecutive season, the Gauchos are also offering a special Family Plan. For just $175, a family of five (2 adults, 3 youth) can get tickets for all home men and women's regular season games and two College Cup All Session tickets - that's just $1.25 per game! Everyone who purchases a Family Plan will also get free GKids memberships for all youth eighth grade and under in their household.

All 2009 UCSB soccer season ticket holders and all Gaucho Fund donors may purchase tickets for the 2010 season starting on May 3. On May 10, season tickets will be available to the general public. College Cup All Session tickets will be made available to non-season ticket holders on Sept. 1.

To purchase your season tickets, please call (805) 893-UCSB, visit the ticket office located inside the Intercollegiate Athletics building on campus or click here.

Where Can I Sit?
Seating sections in Harder Stadium are marked as Gold (Gaucho Fund donation area), Blue (reserved season tickets) and White (General Admission and groups). Gold Zone seating includes a cushioned chair-back seat located on the east side of Harder Stadium, which is mid-field behind the Gauchos' bench, and also includes free parking and access to the hospitality area. Access to the Gold Zone requires a $300 per seat donation to the Gaucho Fund in addition to the purchase of a season ticket. Please click here to see the seating map for Meredith Field at Harder Stadium.

One Donation Is Gold
Donations to the Gaucho Fund - regardless of the sport it supports - are part of the "One Donation is Gold" system. This allows donors to purchase priority/premium seating and parking at UCSB games across several sports in addition to other benefits.

College Cup Tickets
UCSB is proud to be hosting the 2010 NCAA College Cup at Harder Stadium. Season ticket holders can purchase additional College Cup All Session tickets at the time of their season ticket purchase. College Cup All Session tickets will allow ticket holders to attend the championship's two semifinal games on Friday, Dec. 10 and the national championship match on Sunday, Dec. 12. When purchased without 2010 season tickets, All Session College Cup tickets are $60 for the Gold Zone, $40 for Adult General Admission and $30 for Youth General Admission (eighth grade and younger).